The invention relates to a vehicle driver assistant with an electronic control device for checking the clearance possibility for a vehicle.
A vehicle driver assistant with an electronic control device for checking the clearance possibility for a vehicle is known, for example, from the prior art DE 10 2004 003 294 B4. In this case there is a micro switch that, in the actuated state, reports the mounting of a roof rack. Then the absolute overall vehicle height is automatically selected from a data memory and could deviate from the actual overall vehicle height.
The object of the present invention is to improve a vehicle driver assistant for checking the clearance possibility for a vehicle with respect to the accuracy of the overall vehicle height determination and an enhanced ease of use.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vehicle driver assistant with an electronic control device for checking the clearance possibility for a vehicle below an upper obstruction (such as a bridge, tunnel, parking garage, etc.) as a function of the overall vehicle height, in particular in the case of a roof load and/or a load extending beyond the roof. The electronic control device can be connected to an input unit. This input unit allows at least one actual overall vehicle height to be entered manually, in particular, into the control device for a roof load and/or for a load extending beyond the roof (such as a vehicle with bicycles, a vehicle with an empty roof rack, a vehicle with a ski box, etc.).
In this context, the overall vehicle height can be entered directly or indirectly into the control device by use of the input unit. That is, the input unit can transmit to the control device either the overall vehicle height itself or the data required to determine the overall vehicle height, after the necessary data have been manually entered into the input unit.
The input unit is preferably a mobile terminal device (such as a smartphone) with photo function, wherein the necessary data for determining the overall vehicle height are generated by way of a suitable photo of the loaded vehicle. For example, if the height of the unloaded vehicle is known and a suitable image processing algorithm is used, it is possible to calculate the overall vehicle height from the photo, after the ratio between the vehicle height of the unloaded vehicle and that portion of the load that extends beyond the roof has been evaluated. The algorithm in turn can be present in the input unit itself (preferred alternative) or also in the control device.
A load that extends beyond the roof (and/or beyond the simple vehicle height without a load) is, for example, a load that is mounted on the roof, but also a rack that is mounted on the rear or on the trailer hitch and that has cargo (such as bicycles or surf boards) that protrudes beyond the roof.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.